The Girl
by Ty3
Summary: Rorschach meets a strange girl who seems to understand.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: We all know that I don't own anything but my ideas. That said, I want to apologize for this amateur attempt to describe the Rorschach character. He is just so awesome and I'm afraid I can't do him justice. However, after seeing the midnight showing of Watchmen last night and having only about an hour and a half before I had to leave for work, I decided to just stay awake and this was the result. Please humor this humble author with reviews. I appreciate anything you might have to say.

The Girl

Prologue

Rorschach's Journal:

September 18th, 1978

_Met a strange girl today. Young girl, blonde hair. Saw her walking down street, singing, attracting attention to herself. Didn't seem to notice. Maybe didn't care. Just kept walking and singing, looking at the sidewalk. Didn't recognize the song, but the singing was nice. Girl not very small or pretty, but small and pretty enough that she shouldn't be walking along the streets when it's starting to get dark by herself and she shouldn't notice me. But she did look at me. Most people don't look at me when I don't have my face on. She looked at my sign, then at my mask. Smiled. That's how I knew she was strange._

_Watched her as she kept walking. Some men follow her into an alley. I went and got my face. Wasn't far, didn't take long._

_When I got back, she was fighting them. Not winning, but fighting. Tallest man hit her in the head, knocked her down, before I broke his leg. Quickly, broke face of another with my fist, blood splattering up my arm, and arm of last one against dumpster. Would have finished them, but girl in the way. Moved toward me and touched my face. Felt her fingertips through the cloth against my cheek. She smiled again. Not afraid of me. Confused me that she wasn't afraid. Caught me off guard. Wasn't sure what to do and screams of attempted rapists attracting attention, so turned away and left swiftly._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

The next few days progressed normally for Rorschach. He caught a few drug dealing young men and made sure they wouldn't by pushing their filth on his city again. Thoughts about the strange girl intruded on his mind a little. He wasn't sure why. He'd saved her, she must have been grateful. End of story.

Except…the way she had walked down the street singing, it was like she wanted to be followed, attacked. Suicidal, maybe? But she had smiled at him and her eyes hadn't looked depressed. Rorschach walked this city every day. He knew what depressed looked like.

On the third day after the incident with the girl, Rorschach heard a strange noise while he was patrolling. Cocking his head, he listened intently, blocking out the noises of the hookers on the street around him, the cars driving past, the couple in the building nearby screaming at each other. He was certain. It was the girl.

Brushing off the whore who was trying to get his attention by waving her bared breasts at him, he stalked down the street quickly after the noise. The girl's song led him away from the more populated sidewalks and down a side street. He paused when he caught sight of her. Her blond hair gleamed in the glow of the street light nearby. The dark bruise on her face stood out in contrast. Rorschach approached her slowly.

The girl looked over and saw the costumed hero as he came towards her. She had been hoping she'd see him again. It was strange how much and yet how little she knew about him. She knew his name, she knew his face. She knew that like the ever-shifting patterns of dark and light on his face, he lived in a world of dark and light, punishing the unjust. She knew his reputation, knew why people feared him. Yet she didn't know him, didn't know why.

Realizing that she hadn't thanked him for helping her the other day, she stood before he reached her, looking up into his fascinating face. She thanked him, settling for two simple words rather than some more elaborate explanation. Something told her that superfluous words were more than unnecessary with Rorschach.

"Why?" Rorschach's voice was a deeper rumble than she'd anticipated.

She paused before she answered the question. She was pretty sure she knew what he was asking, but she asked just to be sure. She'd been inviting trouble when he saved her and then she'd tried to fight off that trouble once it had come to her. Obviously that wasn't normal.

"Both." Rorschach said shortly, hands in the pockets of his trench coat, observing the girl closely as if she were an important clue to a mystery.

Her eyes were blue. Rorschach was observant, he saw almost everything that happened in his city, but he rarely bothered with such trivial details. They were just very bright as they looked up at him, hard to ignore.

She told him as simply as she could how the city was murdering her soul. How it was strangling her slowly, crushing her windpipe and stealing the oxygen from her mouth before it could reach her lungs. She had tried to ignore it, but it was impossible. She had to do something to try and relieve the fatal pressure. So she'd laid out the bait, luring out a small part of the murderer and then tried to fight it. But the city was too strong for her. She'd suspected it might be, but she'd had to try.

Then, he'd arrived, breaking a few of the murderer's countless limbs. She wished he could break them all.

"You were losing." He pointed out. His voice was not exactly harsh, but not kind. It was just…honest.

The changing patterns of his face held her captive. She loved how the black ink would seep and move, but never mingle with the white cloth. The white remained pure no matter where the black emerged. She reached up to touch it gently, afraid to disrupt the pattern, but unable to resist. He jerked his face away from her hand, but she didn't seem to mind. His face was beautiful so she told him so. He didn't reply, just stood frozen, tense. She slowly lowered her hand, but didn't step back.

She told him that she knew his name and reputation as a vigilante, a killer.

"Some people deserve to die."

She reacted almost instinctively, drawn to him like a candle to a flame. She didn't pause to think how he would interpret her actions or whether he would take kindly to such an intrusion. She just leaned forward, shifting her weight forward onto the balls of her feet so that she could push up on her toes to reach him. Her hands lifted to rest gently against his chest for balance, the smooth leather of his coat cool under her palms. She tilted her head slightly so their noses wouldn't meet and pressed her lips against his cloth face.

The kiss only lasted a second as Rorschach instantly reacted. He brought his arms up sharply, forcing her hands away from him, then shoved. She lost her balance from the force of the shove and hit the ground hard. However, she didn't cry out or even look that surprised when she looked up at him.

"Don't stop." She pleaded softly.

As long as he was out there, dealing death to the evils of the city, maybe its hold on her would loosen enough for her to breathe.

"Never." He whispered back, his voice a harsh certainty that reassured her.

He turned away from her then, disappearing quickly back into the shadows of the city. She stood up slowly and smiled briefly into the dark. Even though she couldn't see him, she knew he was still out there and that left her with a warm, safe feeling that she hadn't experienced for years. She headed home, humming the same song quietly under her breath.

Rorschach's Journal:

September 21st, 1978

_Heard same girl singing again and followed voice. This time she sat alone at dark bus stop. Already had face on and was patrolling streets before I heard her. She recognized me and stood up when I approached._

_"Thank you."_

_Voice is soft, quiet. Almost hard to hear over racket of city._

_Asked her why._

_"Why did I get myself in trouble or why did I try to fight them?"_

_Told her both._

_"This place is slowly killing me. I wanted a chance to fight back."_

_Made sense except she was losing fight. She reached up when told her so. Touched face again. She shouldn't do that._

_"Your face is beautiful."_

_She knew my face. Called it beautiful. Maybe she understood? Never met anyone who understood before._

_"I heard your name is Rorschach. People are afraid of you. Say you're a vigilante. That you kill people."_

_No change in her voice when she talks._

_I told her some people deserve to die._

_She kissed me. Never been kissed before. Seen it, though. Seen whores kiss perverts in the street. She didn't kiss like that. Kissed my face with her mouth closed, then stepped back. Felt her lips through fabric against mine. Uncomfortable with feelings this caused. Didn't like it. Made her stop it._

_She told me not to stop._

_I whispered back, "Never."_

_Left her there, but watched from nearby rooftop for awhile to make sure no one followed her again. Funny. Girl seems to understand me even better than Dreiberg._

_Spent rest of night following leads to man supplying drugs to dealers from night before. Broke a few fingers, but got a name._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I just wanted to clarify a couple of things. You can call this Mary Sue if you want, but that's not what I'm going for here. The girl's not really that important. That's why she doesn't even have a name. What's important is the impact on Rorschach. I wanted there to be some more meaning to the scene in Watchmen where he says he is offered all kinds of love except American love, which doesn't exist anymore.

Chapter Two

The girl looked for Rorschach over the next few weeks as she walked the streets at night, but saw no sign of him. She was a little disappointed, but she knew she wasn't seeing him not because he wasn't there. She knew that he was somewhere, fighting evil no matter what anyone thought of him. It was just that she couldn't stop thinking about him. Even while she performed her meaningless job, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of a shifting face of black and white.

She did see the homeless-looking man with the sign with greater frequency these days. He had a shock of dirty red hair that adorned a harsh face, but she kind of liked him. His sign proclaimed that 'The End is Nigh.' She liked it. On bad days, it made her think that there was not much more to endure. On good days, it reminded her to value what time she had. So, when she saw him, she smiled at him, silently thanking him for the sign. At first, he'd seemed startled by her smiling at him. She assumed that was because most people ignored people like him, treating the homeless no differently than any other street fixture. Now he just stared at her when she smiled.

It was getting colder at night now. The girl pulled her thin jacket closed, buttoning it up against the wind. A sheet of newspaper blew past her ankles, caught in the breeze. She watched it swirl out into the street only to be crushed under the tire of a car.

She wondered if she shouldn't have kissed him. Rorschach wasn't like a normal person. He didn't interact that way. He hadn't moved when she'd touched him except to pull his face away, had remained stiff, distant, probably confused, perhaps even disgusted. She shouldn't have been surprised at how he'd reacted to her kiss. He probably thought she was no better than the whores on the street now. She frowned at that thought. That certainly wasn't the impression she'd wanted to make. She wasn't even sure what she'd been thinking at the time. She'd only ever kissed one other person before, a high school sweetheart, so it wasn't like that was a normal response for her. She'd been stupid. She probably shouldn't be surprised if she never saw him again.

With a sigh, she climbed the steps of the tenement building where she lived. It was plagued with rats of both the rodent and human variety, but it was all she could afford on her meager salary. Like most of the city, she was just barely getting by. She felt a tinge of guilt over feeling bad about her particular lot when so many others had it just as bad, if not worse. There was nothing special about her or her life, but it was all she had.

When the girl reached her floor, she found the lock on her door broken, the wood along the frame splintered. Frowning, she reached out and touched the door gently, allowing it to swing in and expose the room before she entered. What little possessions she owned were strewn about the room and she could already see that many things were broken. The girl placed a hesitant foot through the doorway, slowly moving into the chaos. It felt wrong to disrupt the scene, like disturbing the aftermath of a tornado. She stepped lightly, not touching anything. Whoever had done this must have wanted something. She began to look around for what was missing, her search leading her across the room towards her bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, but the room was dark. She slipped into the room, reaching blindly for the light while her eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom.

She screamed when someone grabbed her arm as she reached for the light switch. The grip on her arm tightened, pulling her roughly forward and swinging her into a wall. The force of the impact cut off her scream. If anyone heard it or any of her subsequent cries for help, no one gave any indication.

Rorschach's Journal:

November 3rd, 1978

_Looking for man who stabbed old woman while trying to take her purse and ran into strange girl from weeks ago. Was lying in alley, bloody, beaten, clothes ripped. Asked her what happened._

_She looked up at me. Not crying._

_"You."_

_Asked her what happened again. Must act quickly if there is still a chance to catch attacker._

_"Up there." She said, pointing at building next to us, "Room 412."_

_Took fire escape, kicked in window on fourth floor. Women in apartment screamed when I moved through room. Kicked open door and quickly found right room. Door already open. Signs of struggle in bedroom, blood on sheets. No sign of attacker._

_Returned to alley. Girl unconscious. Unsure what to do with her. Probably needed hospital, but also only lead on attacker. Finally decided to take her to hospital, find her later. Carried her to ambulance bay and left her by door. Will resume search for man who stabbed old woman and check on her later. _

_So much filth in city and I am only one still fighting it. Hard to keep up with all the refuse. Still, someone will die tonight._


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I've taken them to heart. Please continue to let me know what you think of this and I'm sorry for the delay. I've somehow contracted a killer flu bug that's making it hard for me to do much but sleep. Hopefully, I'll be better soon.

Chapter Three

Later that night, Rorschach paid a visit to an old friend. Daniel Dreiberg was asleep when Rorschach broke in, but he was sure the noises he wasn't bothering to avoid making would wake him soon. He went to the kitchen, helping himself to some food. He'd been very busy tonight and Daniel always had something to eat.

Sure enough, Daniel stumbled into the kitchen shortly, wearing a bathrobe and glasses slightly askew, but fists clenched, ready for a fight.

"Rorschach?" Daniel asked in surprise when he saw him, "What are you doing here?"

Daniel frowned as he observed his former partner devouring a can of Spam he'd forgotten he'd purchased. He'd seen little of Rorschach since he'd decided to obey the Keene Act and Rorschach had not.

"Girl in hospital." Rorschach answered shortly between mouthfuls of heavily processed meat, "Attacked tonight. Need you to talk to her."

Daniel stared at his former partner.

"What? Why? Nobody knows you with your mask off, you go talk to her."

Rorschach looked over at Daniel silently. Daniel finally sighed in resignation.

"Alright, fine. I'll talk to her." Daniel reluctantly agreed, "What's her name?"

"Don't know."

Daniel's fist momentarily clenched again in annoyance, but this was Rorschach. He couldn't really expect him to spend much time talking to the people he rescued. They'd known each other for years and Rorschach barely talked to him.

"Lives at 13 East 23rd. Room 412."

Well that was useful information, at least.

"I'll go first thing in the morning." Daniel promised.

He waited, shifting his weight between his feet nervously while he waited for Rorschach to finish eating. Finally, Rorschach stood from the table, glancing at Daniel before moving past him towards the door.

"Let myself out." He rumbled at Daniel.

Daniel didn't say anything in reply, but followed Rorschach anyway. The masked crime-fighter slipped out the door without a backward glance. Daniel sighed again as he saw the broken lock. It looked like he wouldn't be going back to sleep any time soon.

The next morning, Daniel Dreiberg managed to get in to see the girl although it wasn't very easy. When he arrived, she was still asleep so Daniel had a seat and waited for her to wake up. After what she'd endured, she probably needed all the rest she could get. Daniel had been sitting there for some time and was starting to feel his own eyelids droop when the girl began to stir.

Daniel stood, moving to hover near the girl's bed, cleaning his glasses nervously. She rubbed her eyes and looked over at him.

"Hello." She greeted him politely.

"Um…hello." Daniel replied, taking another hesitant step forward, "H...how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." She answered, "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

"No…well, no, but…a…friend asked me to check on you."

The girl looked surprised, "You're friends with Rorschach?"

Daniel froze where he stood, surprised himself that the girl would put that together.

"Please," The girl continued, pushing herself up on her bed so that her back rested against her pillows, "sit down."

Daniel complied, dragging the chair he'd been seated in before over next to her bed and sitting back down. The girl smiled at him, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Something wrong?" Daniel asked.

The girl shook her head, "No, it's just…I didn't think he had any friends."

Daniel smiled, suddenly feeling much more at ease with this girl, perhaps on account of their shared acquaintance with the elusive Rorschach.

"I may be taking some liberties using that term." Daniel admitted, "My name's Daniel."

"Good to meet you, Daniel." The girl nodded, reaching out to shake Daniel's hand, "Did he send you?"

Daniel nodded, "He wanted me to see if you know anything about who attacked you."

The girl frowned slightly as her mind returned to the experience, "Not by name, no, but he said that he was a friend of the men who tried to attack me weeks ago in an alley. Rorschach stopped them, almost killed them. He blamed me for what happened to them."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. Rorschach should be able to track the guy down based on that information. Most people thought the masked vigilante was a lunatic who acted randomly, but Daniel knew better. Rorschach was a brilliant detective and strategist. He just refused to see any moral gray area and his motives were as secret as his identity. In fact, the most surprising detail of the girl's story was that Rorschach hadn't killed the men in that alley. These past few years, Rorschach had found no use for mercy. Daniel still didn't know what had happened to his former partner, but ever since '75, Rorschach felt that a criminal left alive was a job left unfinished.

"Do you know him well?" The girl asked after a moment of silence passed between them.

Daniel chuckled, "Nobody knows him well, but we have some history."

The girl bit her lip, the look on her face implying to Daniel that she was undecided about something. Curious, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on her arm, gave her a questioning look and an encouraging smile.

"I kissed him." The girl blurted, her face flushing at the admission.

Daniel jerked back from her, eyes going wide and glasses sliding down his nose. He must not have heard her right.

"You did what?"

The girl shook her head quickly, "I shouldn't have. He didn't want me to. I just did."

Daniel sputtered unintelligibly for a long moment. He'd seen Rorschach break limbs just for trying to touch him. Rorschach didn't treat women any more gently, either. He barely tolerated Laurie back when they'd worked together and had made no secret about his disdain for the whores that populated the city. Daniel might go so far as to say that Rorschach hated women. Not that he had leanings in another direction. Rorschach was even more disgusted by homosexuals than by women. No, in Daniel's experience his old partner found human relations in general to be a source of corruption and sin. So the idea that someone might kiss him was unfathomable. Furthermore, why would she want to? Rorschach had saved her, sure, but she must be crazy to even consider invading his personal space like that. Not to mention the fact that she must not have much of a sense of smell. Daniel never commented on it, but his old partner's hygiene was questionable at best if his odor was any indication.

"He…he didn't…hurt you?" Daniel finally asked, deciding to leave questions of the girl's sanity for later. The girl was covered in bruises and wounds, any of which could have been caused by Rorschach just as easily as her attacker.

She shook her head, "No. Not really. He pushed me away, knocked me down, but it was my fault. I shouldn't have…"

Self-loathing was written across her features before she dropped her head into her hands. Daniel felt like he should say something to comfort her, but he was at a loss for words. He was still having some difficulty imagining this alleged kiss. He desperately wanted to ask Rorschach about it, but he knew there was a fair chance that mentioning it might cause Rorschach to do him bodily harm. At the very least, he was sure he wouldn't get any answers and he probably wouldn't see the masked hero again if he asked.

Daniel finally settled for what was intended to be a reassuring pat on the leg, but was much more awkward in practice than reassuring. The girl looked up.

"Think I'll ever see him again?" She ventured.

Daniel shrugged, "I can never predict if I'll ever see him again."

The girl nodded slowly as if that was the answer she'd expected. Daniel fidgeted a little in his seat at the silence that followed, deciding that it was about time for him to go.

"Um…well, I guess I should be going." He finally announced, standing up.

"Oh, yes. Sorry. Thank you for coming." The girl said, offering Daniel a small, but genuinely appreciative smile.

Daniel nodded in acknowledgement, moving towards the door. He paused before he left, feeling like he should say something else.

"Uh…get well soon." He said, feeling instantly stupid for saying such a thing. He shook his head at himself and turned to leave.

"Daniel?" The girl asked suddenly before he could disappear out into the hallway.

Daniel turned back towards her.

"Could you…could you tell him I'm sorry?" she asked quietly, her eyes fixed on the sheet covering her legs. She doubted it would make any difference, but she needed to at least make the attempt.

"I will." Daniel promised, bemused at the situation. This girl seemed to really like Rorschach, of all people. He wondered what she'd seen in him that had made such an impression. Was it just that he'd defended her? No, Rorschach had saved many people and most still thought he was just a mad man in a mask. Daniel decided that he would deliver her message, but it would still probably be best for her if she never saw the vigilante again. Just because she liked him did not mean those feelings were mutual.

Rorschach's Journal:

November 3rd, 1978 (Continued)

_Contacted Dreiberg to get information on attacker from girl. Haven't seen Daniel since he decided to let crooked politicians control his life. Strange to see him now, growing soft. But Daniel can visit hospital without attracting attention and I don't want to see girl again anyway. First thought she was a victim who might actually understand why I must do this, but after encounter where she tried to kiss me, realized she is like everyone else in this city, a slave to her sexual desires. No better than the diseased prostitutes and child molesters, oozing their filth, trying to contaminate everyone around them. I will not allow her to contaminate me. I will punish her attacker because it must be done, but then she will have to save herself from the gutters._


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. They really do help.

Chapter Four

Rorschach visited Daniel the next night to get his information. Daniel left the door unlocked, hoping to avoid another costly repair. Unfortunately, Rorschach decided not to use the door this time. Daniel winced when he heard the window break. Was that really necessary?

Rorschach edged into the kitchen, standing across the room, not joining Daniel at the table.

"Sorry about window." Rorschach said, "Can't be too careful."

"Yeah, I guess." Daniel agreed, knowing it was pointless to argue, "Are you hungry? I've got some dinner left over."

Rorschach shook his head, moving across the kitchen to take some sugar cubes from the counter next to the coffee maker and stuffing them in his pocket. Daniel always kept the kind his partner had been so fond of in their years together. He wasn't sure why. Probably just force of habit.

"What did girl say?" Rorschach asked, to the point as ever.

"Apparently her attacker was a part of the gang you beat up in the alley that tried to jump her a few days ago." Daniel reported, "That's all she knows about him."

Rorschach nodded. It wasn't a lot to go on, but it was enough. With the right amount of persuasion, he'd track down the culprit. He turned to leave the way he'd come in.

"She's okay, you know. Pretty banged up, but okay." Daniel called after him, making him pause in the doorway to the hall, "I thought you might want to know."

"Hrm." Rorschach grumbled, a noise that Daniel found impossible to interpret. Without waiting for Daniel to say anything else, Rorschach left.

He suspected the girl had probably told Daniel about their…encounter. People liked to talk to Daniel. It was something he'd found useful when they worked together. In this instance, however, it was annoying. He'd prefer to forget this girl completely. Why waste time thinking about some unbalanced whore? However, actually forgetting her was proving more difficult than he'd anticipated. The solution was simple, though. Once he'd punished her attacker, he could move on. He wouldn't even bother walking by her during the day when she didn't know it was him anymore either, when she thought he was just some bum with a sign. No, as soon as this job was finished, this girl who had dared to touch him could fade back into obscurity, just another prostitute in a city that writhed with them like maggots on a carcass.

Unfortunately for Rorschach, the actual process of locating the thugs took longer than anticipated. He got clues as to their whereabouts. He usually got clues after he started breaking bones. The problem wasn't that, the problem was that these men seemed to know that he was going to be looking for them and had disappeared the past few days. All the clues Rorschach received were stale. It was starting to try his patience.

Unbeknownst to Rorschach, the girl was engaged in similar activities. Against medical advice, she'd left the hospital the day after Daniel visited. Not only could she not afford the medical bills as it was, it bothered her knowing that somewhere out there Rorschach was putting himself in danger because she'd been so stupid. She wasn't naïve. She knew that Rorschach had sent Daniel so that he could track down the man who'd attacked her. She also wasn't stupid enough to think that Rorschach was doing this as some kind of special favor to her. This was what he did. It was just that none of this should have happened. Yes, she'd felt that tangling with those men in the alley weeks ago had been necessary at the time. She'd been suffocating. That was the only thing she'd been able to think of to alleviate the pressure. But as a result, she'd brought down more pain on herself and, more importantly, the possibility of pain for her savior. If the man who'd attacked her had held a grudge long enough to track her down to punish her weeks later, she had no doubt that they had something in mind for Rorschach, too.

So the girl had taken to the streets herself, covering as much of her battered body with clothing and makeup as possible so she didn't look like easy prey. Her methods were necessarily much more subtle than Rorschach's. She had to coax information out of people while he could demand. As a result, she found herself two steps behind Rorschach as she searched the seedy underbelly of a corrupt city for a particular set of criminals amidst all the scum. It wasn't difficult to tell when he'd been somewhere before her. There were usually still bloodstains, if not bodies. She would step over them and quickly move on.

On this night, she caught a break early in the night. A man in one of the sleazy bars she'd discovered had apparently started happy hour early today so by the time she got there and started asking questions, his tongue was already loose. He told her that a guy he knew had sold the guys she was looking for some KT-28s down in the old manufacturing district. She'd never been there before, but she was sure she could find it.

Rorschach's Journal:

November 8th, 1978

_The vermin I've been tracking have gone to ground. Usually not a problem to smoke them out except that this city is infested. Difficult to find a single rat in a swarm. Forced to exterminate them as I go. Infestation has grown since Keene Act. They feel safe now, free from retribution. I will show them they are wrong._

_Still, delay wears on patience. Considering contacting Dreiberg again, asking him to check on girl. Possible criminal may return to scene of crime. Meanwhile, I will expand search of city._


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry about the delay. Special thanks to Cat for her review. You really seem to get what I'm trying to do here and I appreciate that.

Chapter Five

Rorschach stiffened as he turned the corner and headed down into the old manufacturing district. It had been years since Blair Roche, but this part of town made the events feel fresh. In fact, the old dressmaker's shop had never been rebuilt and as he approached the charred remains, he felt like he could still smell the smoke with perhaps a twinge of burning human fat mingled with it.

Rorschach paused at the spot, letting his eyes rest on his birthplace. This was not only where Blair Roche and her murderer had died, this was where Walter Kovacs had died. In his mind, Rorschach paid his respects to the little girl and the man who had played at being a hero. They'd both had to die for him to truly see, for him to become Rorschach. He regretted the girl's sacrifice, but not Walter's.

Rorschach's hands tightened into fists at his sides. This was no time to dwell in the past. There was another girl, older and less innocent than Blair Roche, but a victim just the same, who needed him to bring her justice. In a moment of revelation, Rorschach realized what he'd picked up on about this girl that had seemed different. She had a victim's eyes. Eyes that saw the world the way it really was, but with the realization that there was nothing she could do to stop the pain from coming over and over again. Most people had the glazed look of cattle, plodding stupidly towards the slaughterhouse, distracted from the danger by the prospect of food or some other kind of pleasure. He suspected there was something in her past that had opened her eyes, separated her from the herd.

It didn't matter. Rorschach spotted a teenager up the street and could tell even from a distance that he was trying to push drugs on anyone who came near. He would be a good source of information.

"Ah, come on. You know you want a little. You won't get a better price." the teenager whined at another failed attempt to deal.

He kicked at the pavement at his feet in frustration and turned to stalk back to the shadow of the building where he'd been sitting. He ran smack into a solid form standing right behind him.

"Shit!" he yelped in surprise, jumping backwards. When his eyes tracked up the body he'd run into to the black and white cloth face, his eyes widened until Rorschach wondered briefly if they'd pop out of their sockets, "Fuck! Uh…I'm sorry, man! I didn't mean to…I…shit…"

The boy's voice died in his throat as Rorschach's hand snapped out to grab a fistful of his shirt, preventing him from backing away any further. Color drained from the boy's face, turning it into a pale canvas marred by a trail of red pock marks.

"Should watch where you're going." Rorschach growled, the dark blotches on his face forming a sinister face the boy was sure would haunt his dreams, "Dangerous part of town."

The boy blubbered an incoherent reply, nodding vigorously in agreement. He silently prayed that Rorschach would let him go with a warning despite all the evidence to the contrary. Rorschach wasn't known for showing mercy.

"Need information." Rorschach continued and the boy almost sighed with relief. If Rorschach wanted something from him, he might be able to give it to him and escape with just a few broken bones. If Rorschach had just wanted to teach him a lesson, chances were he wouldn't be so lucky.

"I'll tell you anything you want." the boy said quickly.

The ink blot pattern that was Rorschach's face almost appeared to grin. He described the men he was looking for and discovered that the boy had seen them, had sold them drugs more than once. He didn't know where they were now, but he thought they were staying somewhere nearby. Rorschach head-butted the boy before releasing him, breaking his nose. The boy cried out in pain, his hands flying up to stop the blood gushing from his nostrils. While the boy was preoccupied with his nose, Rorschach roughly searched him, seizing the stash of drugs he was carrying. He stuffed them in his pocket to dispose of later and started down the street to continue his search.

"Don't let me catch you dealing again." he warned, his voice a low growl that drifted back to the boy over his own moaning.

Rorschach's Journal:

November 8th, 1978 (Continued)

_Finally found lead on prey's whereabouts. Old manufacturing district. Haven't been down this way in years. Not since Blair Roche._

_Took a while to locate the right building, but it was only a matter of time. Stench of the place is incredible. Smells like sweat, urine, feces and filth. Appropriate smell for the sort of garbage inhabiting it. I circle the building cautiously. As much as I want to end this, can't rush in. Have to think tactically so that justice doesn't slip through my fingers._

_Blocked rear entrance with dumpster before moving around to the front. There's a window high up above the door. Window long ago broken. I use grappling gun to enter through window. _

_Wish I had found way to see into building before entering. Maybe could have prevented what happened. Stupid mistake._


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry this took so long. This is the last chapter and I wanted to get it just right. I hope this kind of explains where I was going with this and the impression I wanted to make. Please review.

Chapter Six

When Rorschach arrived in the warehouse, he discovered that he had not been the first to discover the thugs' hideout. The girl was already there. While he'd been searching the city, the girl had discovered the old warehouse. She'd thought about what to do once she'd located it. She thought about trying to find Rorschach, tell him what she'd found, maybe warn him to be careful. She even thought about contacting the police. They might send someone down here to see if they could collect a bribe and ultimately clear the place out. That idea she rejected. Not only was it contrary to everything she knew Rorschach believed and would therefore infuriate him if he found out she'd done such a thing, but it would probably just make things worse. These criminals would just find another hiding place, one that maybe she wouldn't be so lucky in locating. No, she would have to try to find Rorschach. She could lead him here, he could investigate the area, maybe set up some traps so that when he got the drop on them, it would be too late for them to cause him any harm.

The girl had turned to go when she suddenly heard the creak of a door opening behind her. She whirled around and found herself making eye contact with the very same man that had attacked her. Even though it had been dark, there was no way she wouldn't recognize him. He'd forced her to look at him.

In that second of recognition, fear coursed through the girl's veins, freezing her in her stance even while her mind screamed that she needed to run. The pounding of her heart was almost painfully intense against her ribcage.

A moment later, her attacker recovered from the shock of seeing her there and a lecherous grin slowly spread across his face. He began to move quickly towards her, asking her why she'd come back, did she want some more? He called her a dirty slut, a filthy whore. Then, he asked if she'd fucked the mask, too.

He was only a few feet from her when his comments somehow pierced the veil of fear that had enveloped her, sparking a flare of rage that swiftly grew inside her. Her mouth twisting into a snarl, the girl launched herself at the man, her small fists flying towards his face. Her wild attack caught him by surprise and knocked him to the pavement. Grasping his hair, she smacked his head against the ground as hard as she could repeatedly. His cries didn't even register in her brain. She barely felt his hands hitting her, clawing at her. The only thing that mattered was keeping her grip on his hair no matter what and smacking his head against the ground until he stopped fighting her.

When multiple sets of new hands grabbed her and forcibly yanked her away, she continued to fight, her eyes still locked on the man who'd assaulted her. He was no longer moving and there was a large pool of blood haloing his head, but his eyes were still open, mocking her. It wasn't until she found that she couldn't get free that she realized that other men from the gang now had a hold of her. Her eyes went wide and she felt the first sickening tendrils of despair grip her heart. Two men kept her still while a third moved to check on their companion. He looked shocked when he looked back at the others and reported that she'd killed him.

The man on her right tightened his hold on her arm, his fingers digging into her skin. He told the others to bring the body inside as he began dragging her towards the warehouse. She dug her heels in, twisting frantically to try and escape. She knew that once they had her inside that building, there would be little hope for her. She started to scream, hoping against hope that someone might hear her and help her even though no one had answered her cries when the now deceased man had attacked her in her home. Her scream was cut off quickly, however, by a sharp slap across her face that made her vision go blurry for a few long moments. A heavy metallic taste on her tongue made her realize the blow had split her lip.

The door to the warehouse loomed closer. The dark opening into the building looked like the mouth of a beast to the girl. It seemed eager to swallow her forever. She started to kick at the men holding her arms, but it was no use. They dragged her through the door and shut it behind them, the sound like the beast's jaws clamping shut.

By the time Rorschach entered the building, the girl looked even worse than she had when he found her in the alley. She was barely moving, soft moans accompanying her shallow breaths. She was still conscious, but hated every moment of it. She just wanted everything to stop even if that meant dying. Her whole world was pain. Any escape would be welcome.

Rorschach didn't notice her at first. He was preoccupied with utilizing the moment of shocked stillness that followed his arrival. There were four men in the building. Rorschach immobilized two, snapping one neck and knocking out the other, before the rest had a chance to act. The remaining pair both pulled guns. A bullet grazed Rorschach's shoulder before he managed to get inside the defenses of his third victim. He swiftly broke his arm so that he couldn't fire his weapon again and ducked behind him so that the final villain's bullets buried themselves in his comrade. Looking over the shoulder of his human shield, Rorschach observed his prey.

"Not many bullets left." He observed.

He wasn't concerned about those last few bullets. They wouldn't stop him. It was only a matter of time before he eliminated this garbage. He could already see the panic in his eyes. Rorschach grinned in anticipation.

Rorschach's grin cemented the criminal's fear. He frantically searched the area for anything that might save him. His eyes landed on the crumpled form of the girl. Leaping towards her, he grabbed her by the hair and hauled her onto her knees, pressing the barrel of his gun against her temple. The girl choked on a sob at this new pain, but didn't say anything. She'd only just become aware of Rorschach when he spoke, but it wasn't until feeling this pain that she was sure that she wasn't just imagining his presence. She wasn't dreaming. This was real. He was really there. Her heart soared. If her face hadn't been a swollen, broken mess she would have smiled. She hadn't known him for very long, but he was the only one in her life that had never failed her. Even now, even though she'd thought it impossible to hope that he'd find her, he was here. Her savior.

"I'll shoot her!" The panicked criminal threatened.

The girl could feel him shaking.

Rorschach looked at the girl for a moment, frowning. Then, he looked back up at the vermin holding her.

"Do it." He growled.

"W…what?!" the man exclaimed, his eyes going impossibly wide.

"Do it!" Rorschach yelled, dropping the body that had shielded him and moving closer.

The man's wide eyes flickered from Rorschach to the girl in confusion and in that instant, Rorschach struck. He lunged at him, taking him from an angle so that he wouldn't have time to bring his arm around with the gun. As Rorschach's body impacted with the crook, the gun went off, the sound bouncing off the walls of the metal building.

Rorschach's fists began hammering against the man's face before his body even hit the ground. More and more blood coated Rorschach's gloves until he finally stopped, satisfied with the now concave skull and shattered features that had once been a living blight on the city.

Rorschach stood and turned. The girl was lying on the ground next to them, her face turned towards the newest death. When she turned her head to look up at Rorschach, he could see fresh blood from the man's face splattered across her's. Her eyes were surprising. There was no fear in them anymore. No…there was…satisfaction.

The girl's breath hitched and Rorschach noticed the fresh blood stain spreading across her shirt. The bullet meant for her brain had found her chest instead. She was not going to make it. He was certain of that. There was no point in trying to move her. Rorschach slowly moved closer, hesitantly crouched at her side.

"I'm…sorry." He finally told her.

"No." The girl answered, her voice barely a whisper, the gurgle of blood spilling into her lungs distorting her speech enough to make Rorschach lean a little closer to hear her, "Nothing to be sorry for."

She coughed weakly, her body attempting to dispel the fluid even though it was a futile attempt.

"You stopped them. You fight them all." The girl's voice was wavering.

She was drowning in her own blood. Rorschach knew that it wouldn't be long now. The girl's eyes closed and her body stilled, the blood dripping out of her mouth. Rorschach was almost sure she'd died when her eyes flickered open again. She had to hold on for just a moment longer. She had to tell him even if he might not understand.

"I…love…you." She gasped before shuddering, one last gurgle of blood bubbling through her throat.

Rorschach stiffened, staring down at the girl for a few long moments. Finally, he stood up and moved away from her. The thug that he'd knocked unconscious was beginning to stir. Rorschach brought his boot down with brutal force on the back of the man's neck, nodding to himself when he heard the bones shatter. Looking around the room, Rorschach noticed now that there was an extra body, a man that he had not killed. Moving over to it, Rorschach checked the corpse and found that the back of the man's head had been bashed in. Looking back towards the girl, he wondered if she'd done this. She must have. He smiled grimly, pleased that she'd managed to kill one of them. Glancing once more around the room, Rorschach moved to the door. The dark pattern of his face shifted subtly as he stepped outside. An average psychiatric patient asked to identify the pattern might have described it as a crushed insect. A more disturbed individual, one who'd faced the truth in all its horrifying intensity, might say that it looked like a bunch of mutilated bodies, left to bleed until the blood dried up.

Rorschach's Journal:

November 8th, 1978 (Continued)

_Thought about just leaving all the bodies to rot, but decided there is enough festering in this city. Instead decided to burn the place. Seemed fitting considering proximity to dressmaker shop from the Blair Roche case. Stayed for awhile to watch it burn._

_On the way home, a whore about twelve offered me Chinese love. The strange girl said she loved me before she died. Not like a prostitute looking for a john. No, more like the honest American love that people write about. I've read about it in the New Frontiersmen. _

_There is no American love anymore. I watched it die today._


End file.
